Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Billy Wood Jr.
Email: billy.wood@mci2000.com
Age: 29
Occupation: Pastor
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 09/05/98
Itinerary: Labadee, SanJuan, St. Thomas, CoCoCay Bahamas
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 89
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 79
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 89
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 89
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Sep 1998
Time: 16:03:51
Remote Name: 38.226.39.15
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 4th and so far most favorite Cruise. I am the Associate Pastor at a Baptist Church in Georgia. This was the most family type Cruise we
have ever taken and we have been on the Big Red Boat. I admire and highly recommend the staff of the Grandeur of the Sea. The Ship- Beautiful.
I am a Cruise fanatic so I like to compare ships. We have been on the Imagination, the Norway, the SS/Atlantic and now the Grandeur. Every ship is
different. While the Norway was most elegant, this ship was a contemporary elegant. While the Imagination was eye gazing, this ship provided a
very similar layout scheme, with the Centrum Plaza.

Quite frankly we did not think there could be a prettier ship than the Imagination, but the
Grandeur topped it! My at the room. The common mistake people make is to assume that you must be around things you do not want to be around,
that is just not the case. Especially with the Grandeur. This is a huge ship. There is so many places to go on the ship that if you just wanted to sit
there and stare at your family you could. But there is so much more to do than that. If you have always went on small ships due to the scare that a
big ship is just too crowded, you need to try this Grandeur. Seeing is believing. Entertainment- This is where I was most impressed.

Quite frankly I
am no fuddy-dud but I have 3 girls. Ages 11,7, and now 10 months (that is right we took an infant on a ship, and it worked out great). Don't let
that hold you back. None-the-less, I totally repect everyone on the Royal Caribbean staff and especially the Captain and the Cruise Director which
are responsible for what is seen and heard on a ship. We went on The Carnival Imagination and it seemed that the Staff used slangs and cursing
very often. I know that more adults than kids frequent ships but there is a time and place for everything. Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Sea has
this handled.

The Cruise director made sure that everyone, the customers, the entertainers, and his staff know that this was a family cruise and
that only the late night stuff would contain that type of material. This was so refreshing. Noone was offended and everyone, believe me, everyone
was entertained well. The Cruise director was heads above any we ever had. He was very humourous and a hit at his introduction to everything.
There was a great mixture of acts and shows by the Grandeur staff entertainers. Jugglers, comedians, singing, dancing, and of course the two
shows, The beat goes on and Star Struck. Don't miss showtime one night or you will be sorely disappointed. The ship itself has a host of very good
entertainers. They had one trio singing in the centrum plaza every night that was interactive and variative in songs. Everyone loved them and they
were nice to see while waiting for whatever was next to do.

Again and I support another commenter, do not miss the Newlywed Game, it was drop
down hilarious. This is a five star entertainment ship. Dining Room- Outstanding. I find it hard to believe that any ship has bad food, or service, but
the Grandeur was great. Second only to the Norway. The waiter and bus boy were quite entertaining and interactive as well. What I found most
intriguing about this dining experience was that the Head waiter really did help. This was a change. You saw these men working hard and did a
great job. There is another deck up top on the ship called the Windjammer. Don't get let down at it's dirtiness when you first get on board as that is
where you are sent to eat. When I say dirty I just mean the seat covers. The could be cleaner.

However, by the end of the week you will find that
they are fine and that what else should you expect considering that the pool users use this place all the time. Dine in the dining room when
possible though, except lunch, so that you will not miss out on the great service your dining room staff provides. Embarking and Disembarking- Not
bad, but not as good as I was led to believe either. Deal with it, your are beginning or ending a fabulous trip, so chill and you'll be fine.

Ports- As I
write this Hurricane George just went over Haiti and San Juan. I hope everything is all right. We have went to many a place but Labadee Haiti is the
prettiest and most peaceful place I have ever been. For those who warn you and say that the Haitians are the most haggling people to ever shop
with, they have obviously never went to Jamaica. That shopping is bad. This is your typical 'hut' shopping and a few good deals can be found. It will
not take you but a minute and if you find anything you like, get it here, you'll find none any cheaper anywhere else you are going. I suggest just
laying on a float in Labadee. It is romantic and gorgeous. It is far prettier , nicer, and more breathtaking than CoCo Cay.

San Juan- Very neat.
Americanized, yet holds it's own traditions. Do not pay for the ships excursion tour here or in San Juan. In both places I highly recommend a tour,
in fact you'll be disappointed not doing one, but get off the ship and let the locals take you. You can negotiate a deal and trust me on all 4 Cruises
we have been on, you'll save much $$$ than doing it on the ship. I know it is not popular to do that, and yes you go at your own risk, but the
savings is great and you can thus do more(and spend more on stuff!). I think this is good and key advice. We had a great tour guide at both
places and we seen enough and still had time for shopping.

St. Thomas- I got to go against the grain on this and say that I think San Juan has
better shopping. However the view from the top of Paradise Point in St. Thomas is the most breathtaking view you will ever see in your life. Bring
lots of film and definitley go here! CoCoCay was o.k.- hard to beat Labadee. I found the island beautiful but not close to as nice as Labadee. The
water is rough, shallow (no matter which beach you walk to) and there are jellyfish everywhere. They don't tell you that on the ship. The snorkeling
was overated as you swim much to see little. While at the same time, dodging jellyfish the whole way. I must admit that I fould the pricing overpriced
to do it as well. Royal Caribbean does give you great instruction but after that you are on your own. I like the freedom, but the instruction does not
cover the price. If snorkeling is your bag go to

Cozumel- it does not get any better. But overall, this was the best itinerary we have ever been on.
Last Thing- Tenders- I hate think it is foolish to not take the first tender tickets and get to the private islands first. It is your only hope to get
hammocks and the best spot on the beaches. Oh yeah, print out some of these commentaries on this fine review site. They are extremely helpful
and I guarantee it will remind you of something. One thing that I read which was absolutely correct, was go to the 2nd or 3rd beach at Labadee.
Don't cheat yourself. A little extra walking but spectacularly secluded spots. Go to Nellie's Beach. It is the 2nd and best beach. I checked them all
out.

Cruising is the best vacation in the world and this ship, it's staff, and the wonderful itineraries make it even that much greater. Have a blast.
P.S. Smile, there are plenty of pictures to be taken, by an unfortunately not so friendly staff, but though the price is high (Carnival has better
deals), the quality is outstanding. Have a great Cruise.

Name: Michael Cougill
Email: macclock@aol.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Project Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Enchantment
SailingDate: February 1, 1998
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 10
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Oct 1998
Time: 20:09:01
Remote Name: 152.163.207.182
Remote User:

Comments

This was my first cruise and my wifes 2nd! WE LOVED IT!! Unfortunately, we were plagued with El
Nino which did not allow us to go to Key West, Cozumel or enjoy Georgetown, Cayman Islands.
The only excursion which was not a problem was Ochos Rios Jamaica. The worst part of our
cruise which really soured us was the messed up tender service to Georgetown. The cruise staff
left about 300 of us sitting in a 90 degree parking lot with no water, facilities or shade. There
were seniors and children baking in the sun while the ship went to the other side of the island to
pick us up! Other than that mess up, we LOVED OUR cruise and are going on another this January
on Grandeur of the Seas! The cruise staff was very courteous and wonderful except for the group
in Cayman! The dining room experience was wonderful and pleasant. We suggest cruising to all of
our friends.

Name: Jim Knapp
Email: jimknapp@gate.net
Age: 44
Occupation: Computer tech.
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10-17-98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 93
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 82
FoodLidoDeck: 73
DiningRoomService: 72
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 88
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 72
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 88
PrivateIsland: 89
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 88
TenderService: 83
GoodForSeniors: 84
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 89
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 79
CruiseActivities: 83
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 93
EmbarkDisembark: 89
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 91
Stabilization: 87
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 89
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Oct 1998
Time: 11:04:20
Remote Name: 207.36.29.242
Remote User:

Comments

Review of the Grandeur of the Sea The Oct 17 1998 Sailing. This was the first year we used the
Air/Sea program. We enjoyed the flight.(1 hour flight instead of 4 ˝ to 5 hour drive) We arrived in
Fort Lauderdale 9:40 am. We were meet by two RCI representatives, and escorted to a waiting
area in the terminal. There we 12 people already there. We waited for a little over an hour. About
11:00 am we rounded up and taken to a bus for the 40 minute ride to the pier.

Embarkation: The lines were a little long but once the ticket counter personal got going the lines
moved pretty fast. When it was our turn at the counter, we handed our supercharge cards and
our documents checked. I’d say from the time we got to the pier and the time we got to the
cabin was about 45 minutes. As we entered the ship, we were handed a letter. The letter stated
that CocoCay would be dropped, instead we would go to Nassau. More on this later under ports
of call.

Cabin: We had a cabin on deck 8. Once off the elevators, there was a man giving out room keys.
We had a larger inside cabin (#8529). This had 9 draws (6 in the cabin 3 in the closet) This cabin
was designed for 4 people so we had plenty of storage space. Nice safe in one of the cabinets
that works with credit card. I could not have asked for anything better. The carpet had some
stains on it, but what can you say about it.

Ship: The ship looks magnificent. This is one beautiful ship. I don’t know what happened to the
ship in dry dock. I could not distinguish anything new. Carpets through out the ship were stained
and worn. Maybe the things they changed are behind the scene’s. Now that’s is the only bad
thing I can say. The wood and marble looks great. The main pool area and two nice sized pools
and four whirlpools/ Jacuzzi’s. The Solarium pool (which we used quite a bit) and 2
whirlpools/Jacuzzi’s. Didn’t get very crowded like the main pool area. The casino is a good size.
The Palladium theater is very good size.

Food: The food in the main dinning room was very good to excellent. Eat in the Windjammer Café
once. And that was the embarkation lunch. It was fair to good. The only thing about the
windjammer is the food doesn’t always stay warm, and could use a little better flow so people
can get in easier.

Service: The service in the main dinning room (The Great Gatsby). Our head waiter Tony is from
Jamaica, was very friendly and pleasant. But the best came from our waiter Osman Gurcan and
our assistant waiter Abidin Koca both from Turke. They were funny and very good and getting
anything or if we wanted more food. They made very one that he table feel very special. I’m
planning writing a letter to RCI and commending them on work and service they provided. They
made the trip memorable. Ports of Call: Labadee was the first stop. Since we live in Florida, I just
can’t get to excited able a day at the beach. It is a very nice beach. I took my own snorkel
equipment along. Didn’t to the tour just went on my own. Had a good time, and enjoyed the sun.
Next stop was San Juan took the New and Old San Juan tour, not very enjoyable, a mini bus we
20 people on board and the A/C not working well, enough said on that. Did walk around town did
some shopping too. Now the last port Nassau. We did the Nassau Island tour. This was the pits,
the driver Charles didn’t understand we wanted to hear about the history, not his political
opinion. The fort we went to needs some work to make it look a little better. This tour went to
the water tower 218 feet high. But to go on top was another charge. Watch the video on
television about the tour it’s better then going.

Entertainment: We had the Ashtons which we saw on the Majesty of the Seas last year. The
father and son acrobatics were great. We had a couple of comedians Gary Mule Deer(he was the
best out of all of them) Ralph Achilles was fair to good but nothing to write home about. We also
had a singer name Clint Holmes, pretty good. The jugglers team of Wilde & Haines had to rank
near the top. They really put on a good show.

Disembarkation: We had red tags, we were one of the first groups off the ship. Our flight was
11:00 am we didn’t leave the ship until 9:45. Sounds good…..Not since the airline didn’t have
anyone there to check the bags at the pier. We put them on the bus. The bus didn’t leave the
pier until 10:10 got to the airport at 10:25…by the time we checked the bags it was (out side the
terminal) it was 10:45 which gave us 15 minutes to get to the gate. Well by the time we got to
the gate they already called the last call for boarding so we had to hurry to make the plane
before they shut the door.

Bingo: One lady won $7299.00 on the last day. I won $107.00 playing too. But it cost me more to
play then I won. Oh well….I had fun. Would I go on this cruise again? YES in a heart beat. Would
I get off in San Juan or Nassau…NO. Would I got off in St. Thomas….YES Would I go to the stores
the ship recommends.. probably not…I’d look at the other one to see if they have better prices.
I’d rate this cruise 8 out 10.

Name: Wendy Williams
Email: csrlab@swbell.net
Age: 24
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 07-18-98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 88
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Oct 1998
Time: 12:25:18
Remote Name: 206.109.186.1
Remote User:

Comments

My mom and I took this cruise at the last minute (we booked five days before the sailing date).
We thought that we may have some trouble when we arrived in Miami because we did not have a
cabin assignment. We were very relieved to have a smooth embarkation; it took only five
minutes. We were very surprised to find out that we had been upgraded from a category N to a
category F. From the minute that we boarded the ship we were in awe. The ship is beautiful. The
ship was extremely clean. There were a lot of the crew members there to help us find our way
around, but we wanted to explore the ship on our own. First, we went to the Windjammer Café
on the pool deck to have lunch. The food was not very good. It seem to be left over from the
night before. After we finished lunch, we went to explore the ship and to take pictures while
there were not many people on board. The pool was open at this time and there were drinks
being served in souvenir glasses ($5.95). This is a good value because you can get those glasses
refilled at a discount price. A few hours later we sailed out to sea. The first night at dinner, we
found our table to be very uncomfortable. The table was stuck in a corner and had different
chairs from all the rest.

We thought that they needed more room so they just stuck this table
here. We went to stand in the long line to change our table. When we had our turn with the head
waiter, he was more than happy to change us to a more comfortable table. After dinner, we
returned to our cabin and my mom had received her luggage, but not me. I was a little
concerned, but we went off to the show. When, we returned from the show, my luggage was still
not there. I went to the purser's desk to find out if all the luggage had been distributed, and
unfortunately, it had. They said that they would do their best to try and find it, but I would not
get it until we docked at San Juan on Tuesday. Luckily, I had planned for this event because the
same thing had happened to me the last time I sailed with RCCL. I had packed a pair of shorts
and a dress in my carry on bag.

The entire cruise staff was very attentive to getting my few
clothes laundered ( at the expense of RCCL) and returned to me within hours. The cabin was very
spacious compared to the cabin we had on other ships. The cabin steward was good, but I have
had better. Beware: the drinks in your cabin are not complimentary. My mom and I found this out
too late! The food in the dinning room is good, and has a good variety. The service is excellent!
Our head waiter, Tony, was very attentive and had some type of dish that he would prepare
tableside each night. The entertainment in the dinning room is nice, but it tends to disrupt your
dinner. This dinning room atmosphere was much louder than we were use to, but overall, it was
nice.

The pool deck was nice, but you must get out there early if you want deck chairs. Since we
would sleep past 8:00, we would have to use our towels to lay in the sun. The solarium pool is
great, but the kids would dive into it and be rough-housing if there was an activity in the main
pool. This pool should be for the adults only. The ports of call were amazing. There was a port for
everyone. The private islands were my favorite. Two notes on the shore excursions: 1) do not
take the Amiga Island Snorkeling tour because they do not let you explore the reef and 2) Do not
take the rainforest tour in San Juan, take a taxi and explore it yourself. The tour only allows to
be in the rainforest for 15 minutes! I loved everything about this cruise! I am going to take my
whole family on this ship in June! Please e-mail me if you have any questions!

Name: Shawna & Terry Moore
Email: love2cruise@ns.sympatico.ca
Age: 33 & 34
Occupation: Health Professional & Military
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: September 5, 1998.
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Oct 1998
Time: 00:13:05
Remote Name: 142.177.190.114
Remote User:

Comments

GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS -- September 5, 1998.

Background Information:

We're both (Terry & Shawna) in our early 30's and we got addicted to cruising back in 1993. This
was our 9th cruise and third with RCCL (others 5 NCL and 1 Carnival ). In the past we've always
booked the minimum outside cabin but this time we decided to book a balcony cabin. This was
partially to make up for the disappointment of having to cancel a March cruise on the Sun
Princess. We were a bit nervous booking with RCCL again after a 'not so great cruise' on the
Monarch. (Okay, yes every cruise is great, the Monarch was just the least great) However, there
are few ships to choose from in the Caribbean in the summer and the balcony cabin rates on the
Grandeur were reasonable.

Pre-Cruise:

We booked air/sea together with a deviation to fly back home on the Sunday instead of the
Saturday. Encore Cruises had Canadian dollar pricing so we went through them. They flew us
down the day before and gave us a voucher for an overnight stay at the Miami Airport Hotel. It is
difficult to get from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Miami in time to catch the ship. So with one
exception, we've always flown in the day before the cruise. The hotel was in good shape and
quite soundproof considering planes were taking off VERY close by. The next morning we had
breakfast (overpriced but convenient) at the hotel and then were off to the ship. Encore Cruises
supplied us with SuperShuttle vouchers to get to the pier, normally a $7 per person (plus
tip)charge. We caught a van (outside the airport arrival area) around 11:30 a.m., which we
shared with one other couple on their way to the Grandeur and a man who was headed for
Carnival's Sensation. It was actually a fun drive to the port with a Rodney Dangerfield character
as our driver. The tip was supposedly included in our vouchers but we tipped him extra because
he was so entertaining.

The Cruise: Day 1

We arrived at the pier and gave our luggage to a porter on the sidewalk and tipped him a dollar a
bag. There was a short line for check-in (around 12:30 p.m.) and a longer line of those waiting to
board. When we checked-in we were told, to our surprise, we had been upgraded from our 7th
deck balcony cabin to a balcony cabin on 8 deck. We figured this must be a good thing as the
RCCL rep. seemed happy for us. We had a midship central cabin on deck 7 with only another
cabin above us. Our concern was we didn't know where our new cabin on deck 8 was and what
public room was above it. Plus, #7070 (our old room) was much easier to remember than #8562
(our new room) :) It turns out the cabin on deck 8 was actually a suite and if the representative
had told us this we wouldn't have even cared where it was. I asked the rep. what would happen
to our luggage since it was tagged to go to the 7th deck cabin. She said not to worry as every
piece of luggage was checked against a master list to make sure there was no cabin change
before it would be delivered. I thought to myself 'ya right, like they would bother to check every
piece of luggage, that would take forever!' Oh well, we'd worry about it later. By the time our
check-in was finished the other line to board had started moving. We had our boarding photo
taken and we were on board by 1pm.

We entered the ship on deck 4 in the middle of the atrium which makes for a wonderful first
impression. The atrium is seven decks high, bright, airy and beautiful. Once on board you go to
your appropriate deck and pick up your room keys from the staff located on each floor. It turned
out our new room was more towards the stern than our old room, but seeing it was a suite we
didn't care. Actually, we assumed it was a suite but we weren't 100% sure until we got home and
checked the brochure. I suppose we could have stopped at the purser's desk and asked if we
were in a suite but they would probably think we were idiots for not knowing what type of room
we were in! That does go to show there is not a lot of difference between the deck 7 balcony
cabins and the basic suites. The suite had a tub/shower instead of just a shower and the balcony
and room were 1/3 larger than the deck 7 cabin. Suite #8562 turned out to be below the
Solarium. We normally heard noise from above twice a day but not during sleeping hours. We
weren't sure what made the noise but our best guess was a large cart being rolled in or out
around noon and dinner time, most likely the cart they sold soda pop from when pizza was being
served.

Our suite was actually larger than the hotel room at the Miami Airport Hotel. There was an
entryway with hardwood flooring and lots of closets and drawer space: A large two door closet,
one side had the full length hanging space with three drawers in the bottom corner and the other
side was split in two (upper/lower), a second full length closet with shelves and a corner stand
with a few small shelves and drawers. Add to this the two nightstands and bureau/desk area in
the room and one had tons of storage space. After the entryway the two twin beds (combinable
to one queen size bed ) were on one side with the desk area opposite them. Next was the sitting
area with a love seat, two tub chairs, two footstools, coffee table and a long shelf on the wall.
Finally there was the balcony with a sliding patio door, definitely the best part of the room. It
was large enough for two chairs, a lounger and a small table. The only negative about it was
there wasn't a lot of privacy to it. The partitions are rounded on the outside corners, so if you're
standing at the rail you can see all of the balcony next door and right into their room.
Irregardless, it will be difficult to go back to a cabin without a balcony after having the luxury of
just wandering outside whenever we pleased. Amenities in the room included a safe activated by
a credit card (or some card with a magnetic strip), a 14 inch TV with remote (carried three movie
channels,about 10 various ship channels, three music channels, CNN headline news and
occasionally local stations eg. CBS) and a refrigerator. Refrigerators aren't in the lower category
rooms but it was something we would never have missed since ice is supplied daily. There is also
a telephone that can be programmed for wake-up calls. The bathroom was large (a new
experience for us on a cruise ship) with a full size tub/shower. Soap, shampoo and conditioner
were supplied but there was no hairdryer. There are no full length mirrors in the room (3 half
mirrors), but if you're fairly short and capable of balancing on the bed while wearing heels, the
mirror above the desk will do the trick!

After checking out (and being very impressed by) our room we were off to explore the ship and
take photos. To this point the Legend of the Seas had been the nicest ship (appearance-wise)
we sailed on. The Grandeur now holds that title. They have very similar layouts but the artwork
on the Grandeur seemed more impressive and the color schemes in the various public rooms were
more striking. We spent almost two hours exploring the ship and activated our Supercharge cards
along the way (Singin' In The Rain Lounge), at 2:30 p.m. there was no line-up at all. Terry's
guest card stated he was a gold member (3 cruises with RCCL) and mine should have had the
same designation, but didn't. He teased me all week that he was the special gold member and I
was a nobody. The only real difference was his card gave the 5% discount in the gift shop so we
used that card for our purchases. We also dropped our shore excursion order form off at the desk
as we passed by. We had filled it out prior to leaving the cabin as we knew the horseback riding
in Puerto Rico always sold out, so we wanted to get our order form in early.

Observations on the various public rooms/areas as we explored the first day and noticed
throughout the week: Viking Crown Lounge-- great views during the day, packed during 70's
night disco, good number of people other nights but not much variation to the music, aft area
very nice with large curved window and a piano to one side but it always seemed empty, kind of
a waste of space. Children and Teens' Centers-- playroom, teen disco and video arcade, few
children and teens on our sailing, maybe 50 kids total. Shipshape Center-- lots of state of the art
equipment, we only made it here once (on the first sea day) but at mid-day there were only a
few people present. Solarium Pool-- never crowded, retractable glass canopy was opened two of
the days, pizza, hot dogs and fries are served here during the day and late, late evening
(warning: the pizza is not very good). Main Pool-- surprisingly, lounge chairs were still available
later in the morning on a sea day (the ship was sold out on our sailing). Windjammer Cafe--
breakfast good, lunch okay, sometimes difficult to find a table at lunch time, casual dinner during
the evening had many of the same selections as the dining room, our table mates had dinner here
one night and said the food was as good as the dining room. Crown & Anchor Study-- every night
from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. there was the cigar club, it got very smelly in the area as this is not an
actual room, just an open area in the centrum, I was thankful our cabin was a long way down the
hall. Library-- appeared to have lots of books available. Card Room-- nice, bright room, was used
for an on board wedding prior to sailing. South Pacific Lounge-- difficult to navigate through the
aft side with very large chairs, had to walk through the smoking section to get to the
non-smoking section. Schooner Bar-- nice place to hang out during the day but it got very smoky
at night. Singin' In The Rain Lounge-- only used a few times for art auctions. Photo Gallery-- lots
of space to display photos. Boutiques-- lots of selection and various items, except for Grandeur
t-shirts, few choices and sizes. Palladium Theater-- never a problem finding a seat, several
support poles obstructed views, balcony railing partially blocks view from all balcony seats (unless
you're quite tall), preferred the more open, movie theater type show room on the Legend of the
Seas to the balconied, closed-in one on the Grandeur. Casino-- never felt crowded or smoky,
surprising for a casino! (must be at least 18 years) Great Gatsby Dining Room-- nice colors,
two-level room with the central staircase leading to/from the balcony level, piano player in front
of an artificial waterfall, we had a very central table that made it easier to see all the waiters'
parades, etc., we were one table over from the Captain's table (he was only present one night)
and everyone at our table were in suites and I suspect the same was true of the rest of the
people around us, so on this ship, it appears the higher your room category the better your table
location?, there wasn't a lot of noise in the center of the dining room (with the high ceiling) but it
may have been noisier under the balcony overhangs. When first exploring the ship we tried to
locate our table to see where we would be sitting, but the numbers were not placed on them yet.
We were told they hadn't assigned numbers to the tables yet and they are different every sailing.
I suspect they just took the numbers off the tables to keep people from coming in and checking
out ahead of time where their table is and then complaining about their location. Promenade
Deck-- could walk all the way around but no view at the bow, quiet place to relax in a deck chair
(jogging is on deck 10 not here). Champagne Bar-- nice, partially closed off area, singer and
piano player most nights outside the bar in the centrum. For all bars drinking age is 18, except in
US ports it is 21. Soda pop was $1.50, domestic beer $2.95, import beer & wine spritzer $7.65
(don't recall individual cost), strawberry daiquiri in a souvenir glass $5.95, all plus 15% gratuity.

Once we finished exploring the ship we decided to see if our luggage had arrived at our room or
our old room. It was not to be seen at either location. We decided to leave a note for the
occupants of our old room asking them if they could relay our new room number to the porter, if
our luggage happened to arrive there. We also stopped at the purser's desk to let them know
about our luggage situation. Embarkation lunch was the next stop, it was just okay, not a lot of
selection. Lifeboat drill was fast and efficient. We had one life jacket that had the wrong room
number on it, we informed our cabin stewardess. She returned the life jacket to the proper room
but never brought back the correct life jacket to replace it. I noticed this early in the week and
then forgot about it. So it was a good thing the ship didn't have an emergency because Terry
and I would have been fighting over that one life jacket!

The ship was 40 minutes late leaving because we waited for delayed flights. By this time our
luggage found its way to our room, the porter told us the occupants of our old room passed on
the new room number (thank-you, whoever you were). We had late seating, our preferred choice
as we always eat dinner really late at home and we're not morning people. Tonight's show was
pre-dinner, a comedian Rich Ceisler who was okay. The show was hosted by the cruise director
Gregory Maxwell, a gentleman from Australia who was more reserved than any previous cruise
director we've met. It took us awhile to get used to his manner but we soon found his dry sense
of humour very entertaining. At dinner (casual night) we met our table mates, a couple from
Seattle (1st cruise and they were planning their next cruise by day three) and a couple from
Saratoga Springs, New York (wife's 2nd cruise and husband's 1st). Our ages ranged from early
30's to mid-50's and we got along great. Our waiter was Krishna from India who had worked
previously on the Legend of the Seas and assistant waiter, Csaba from Hungary who was only on
his sixth week on the ship. Both of them were great, Csaba being so new tried very hard,
although he admitted it was hard work. Krishna was very competent and interacted well with
passengers. He told us a few stories about his time on the Legend and her first season sailing.
They have a poor kitchen design on the Legend as there is only one kitchen on the main dining
room level; therefore, the waiters must use escalators to access the balcony level. Often plates
of food were dropped on the escalator making for quite the mess. The Grandeur has two
kitchens, eliminating the need for escalators between the main dining room and balcony. Krishna
hopes never to be assigned to a new ship again as it is a lot more work. Also, he said the crew
tends to be happier on some ships more than others; the Grandeur is supposed to be a good ship
for staff (TV's are being installed in their cabins so that should make them even happier). The
Captain (Ulf Svensson) even stated he wanted to remain on the Grandeur and he had no interest
in taking over one of the newer ships coming out. After dinner we checked out the shops, played
some roulette and hung out in the disco for awhile. It was rainy and windy outside.

Upon returning to our cabin we discovered our beds and cabin had not been made up for the
evening. We had forgotten to leave the make-up room sign on the door but we didn't have the do
not disturb sign up either. The cabin stewards finish work at 10 p.m. (they work 8-12 noon and
6-10 p.m.) so ours was no where to be found. We called cabin service but they told us they were
really busy and it was doubtful someone was available to make up our room. We ended up just
pushing the two beds together ourselves, which was no big deal except we didn't have the large
sheets and blankets to make them up as one bed. The next day we talked to our cabin
stewardess to ask if she could put the proper bedclothes on and it was then she realized, to her
horror, that she forgot to make up our room.

Day 2: At Sea

We slept in until 11:30 a.m., at noon there was the Captain's announcement from the bridge.
Most announcements weren't heard in the cabin but there was a volume control for those that
were. On our sea days the Captain gave an address at noon. There was a joke among the crew
that he loved to talk and they were planning to put together a cd featuring all his talks from the
week. We had a combined lunch from the Solarium and Windjammer and then went to the gym for
half an hour. This was our ninth cruise and the first time we made it to the gym! We do exercise
at home but on a cruise it is so easy to say the heck with it, the same applies to good eating
habits. Oh well, it is only for one week. It was a sunny day but we're not sun worshipers (both
very fair skinned) so our next stop was the dance lessons. Social dance and line dance, well
attended by about 50 people and lots of fun. The Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party was
pre-dinner, the line for photos and to shake his hand moved quickly. On past cruises if there is a
long line we just skip the handshaking and enter through the other door. At the party there was
complimentary champagne, wine, whiskey sours or rum punch. I suspect you could probably order
other items as our table mates didn't consume alcohol and when they turned down all the drinks
on the tray, they were offered whatever they wanted. Dinner was french night and formal attire.
Dress for women ranged from simple everyday dresses to long very fancy ones, most men wore
suits with only about 1/10th in tuxes. We caught the tail end of a version of Family Feud and
then headed to the after dinner show with James Stephens III, a good comedian/singer
impersonator. The late night buffet was all desserts and looked good, but with late dinner seating
we were never hungry (although that never stopped us from checking out the buffets). The disco
was 70's night and very crowded so we only stayed a few minutes.

Day 3: Labadee, Haiti

The night before we put the room service breakfast order form on our doorknob. The food arrived
at the correct time with everything we ordered present, we had even ordered a couple of items
that weren't on the order form (tipped $2). We ate breakfast on our balcony while admiring the
mountainous coast of Haiti. The small table on the balcony is too low to use as a table but the
coffee table from inside the cabin was the perfect height. We had tender tickets #2 which we
picked up the night before. The tender tickets (for Labadee and CocoCay) are placed on a table
beside the shore excursion desk and you pick up the number you think you'll need based on the
time you want to go ashore. We were obviously too optimistic about what time we would be
ready to go ashore as we ended up boarding tender #8 at 10am (the first tender for those not on
tours left shortly before 9am). By 10am tender tickets were no longer even necessary. Towels
were available at the gangway. For security reasons everyone was given an ultraviolet stamp on
their left hand before boarding the tender; however, you still needed to carry your boarding pass.
We brought snorkels and masks with us so we just rented the fins and safety vests ($10/person).
For safety reasons all snorkelers are required to wear a safety vest, it is your decision whether
you inflate it or not ($5/person-vest only). Equipment is picked up on the island. Labadee is an
isolated part of Haiti with the ocean on three sides and the mountains on the fourth side. There
are five beaches (two are no swimming and one is no snorkeling), two cafes (barbecue buffet
lunch), a couple of bars, restrooms, a ship's gift shop and an Artisan's and Native's market
(supercharge not accepted here, cash for native market and cash or credit cards for artisan
market). There is also a trolley to transport passengers from the tender dock to the far end of
Labadee and back, about a ten minute walk. We were on Labadee from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., it
was sunny all day. Most of our time was spent snorkeling (although few fish or coral to see) with
a couple of walks and lunch in between. We were closest to the Dragon's Rock Cafe so we had
lunch there, it was the usual barbecue fare. We thought it was quite good considering the
amount of work it takes to get everything ashore and ready.

Once back on board we attended the RCCL repeaters party. We had received our invitation the
day before, dress was semi-formal. The same drink choices as the Welcome Aboard party were
available along with hors d'oeuvres. The Captain gave a talk on the future of RCI and answered
questions. Afterwards, we returned to the cabin and ordered some snacks from room service to
hold us over until dinner. There is a room service menu with limited items but during meal hours
you can actually order anything on the lunch or dinner menu to be delivered to your cabin. Room
service typically took 30-45 minutes. Dinner in the dining room this evening was Italian. The after
dinner show was the Royal Caribbean Wave Revue singers and dancers and two funny busker-like
comedians, Wilde & Haines. As well as semi-formal night this was also 50's rock & roll night but
very few people dressed in 50's attire. There was a late evening sock hop with the usual twist
and hula hoop contests. We made a donation to the casino, spent a few minutes in the disco
(few people), skipped the midnight buffet (Mexican food) and that was our day.

Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico

After breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe we hung out on our balcony until our arrival in San Juan.
We were successful getting on the Caraballi Horseback tour ($55/person). We were to be in the
cruise terminal for 12:45 p.m., the ship arrived at 12:30 p.m. and there was about a 15 minute
wait to get off the ship, so there wasn't much time to spare. Our group of forty passengers
boarded a bus that took us to the edge of the El Yunque rain forest. It was over an hours drive
with some narrative by the driver. It was pouring rain when we boarded the bus but turned sunny
about 15 minutes outside San Juan and luckily stayed that way. Once we arrived at the ranch
the group was divided into those with riding experience and those without. It took almost an hour
for horses to be assigned. I was lucky and got a horse that liked to gallop and wanted to be up
front. Terry was not so lucky and got a lazy horse so he was at the back of the experienced
group of riders. The only time we saw each other was at the stop at the river. We rode for about
an hour to a river supposedly on the edge of the rain forest. We never actually went into the rain
forest so this is not the tour to take if you want to see it. At the stop at the river, beer or soda
pop was offered and we stopped here for about half an hour. We didn't wear bathing suits or take
towels (as recommended) because I read on the Internet that no one ever went swimming. This
held true for our trip; the river was very high and muddy, not somewhere you'd like to go
swimming. A few people were disappointed with the stop at the river. It is advertised on the
ship's TV as a relaxing spot to take a swim, enjoy a drink and listen to island music. In actuality,
we stopped, got our drinks from a cooler off the back of a truck, had time to drink it, take a short
walk or go to the washroom and then we were on our way again. I enjoyed the ride because it
wasn't a typical trail ride where you had to ride head to tail, we rode more as a herd (walking,
trotting and galloping) and you could pass others if you wanted. I don't recall the type of horses
they were, but they were the size of large ponies with a fairly smooth gait because of their
shorter strides. The ride back to the ranch took about half an hour and then we had a 15 minute
wait until the inexperienced group returned. They were on the same trail as us, they just went at
a slower pace. The drive back to the ship took the same route, a vote was taken -- same route
back or a different route that took longer. We arrived back in Old San Juan at 5:30 p.m., most
people got dropped off downtown to shop for half an hour (stores close at 6 p.m.). We were
covered in mud (lots of puddles on the trail) so we went back to the ship. It was easy to tell
those who went on the trail ride, we were the only ones wearing long pants and boarding this
beautiful ship covered in mud. We did a quick clothes change and just caught the solarium cafe
for pizza (still horrible but convenient) and hot dogs before it closed at 6 p.m. We walked around
Old San Juan a bit, but by this time it was starting to get dark and the place was pretty
deserted. The only place left to shop was the duty free shop at the pier. We bought some sodas
and witnessed lots of people boarding with alcohol. It wasn't taken from them and held until the
end of the cruise like most other cruises we've been on.

We watched the ship leave San Juan from our balcony, it is always more romantic to leave a port
at night. Dinner tonight was American fare and casual dress. We ordered a bottle of wine (about
$20) with dinner almost every night and in hindsight we should of purchased the wine and dine
package (seven bottles for $89). The package had a limited selection of wines (11) but we
discovered afterwards that one wine we really liked was offered in the package. During dinner our
table mates told us about the guest talent show that we had decided to skip. Turned out that
skipping it was a good choice, it was a pretty sad affair. I saw the sign-up book the day before
and only three people had signed up (there was room for five acts). The Newly Wed, Not So
Newly Wed game was after dinner and very entertaining. Four couples were chosen by a random
draw (every couple in the room were assigned numbers) to represent 0-2, 2-10, 10-25 and 25+
years of marriage. The newly weds ended up winning but the couple married 50 years was the
most entertaining. The midnight buffet was Caribbean theme and held pool side along with the
masquerade costume parade. We missed this so I don't know how many people participated.

Day 5: St. Thomas, USVI

We left our muddy jeans (from the horseback ride) in the room for the cabin stewardess to take
to laundry. Cost was $3 each and they were returned to the cabin 24 hours later. We ate
breakfast in the Windjammer and just took our time as we had not yet heard an announcement
saying it was okay to go ashore (it turned out there never was one). Since we just came from
the US (Puerto Rico) there probably was no need for the immigration routine? We had decided
just the day before to rent a jeep. It was our 5th time visiting St. Thomas so we figured we could
find our way around while driving on the left hand side of the roads. We got towels from our
stewardess and headed off to Budget/ABC Jeep & Car rentals located right across the street from
the pier shopping area. We were the only ship in town so there were lots of vehicles available.
We rented a Suzuki Sidekick for $69.95 plus insurance $15.95 (optional). It had unlimited mileage
(how far could you go on an island anyway!) and we used $3.50 worth of gas (we did a lot of
driving). Jeep Wrangler's were $79.95 but had less protection from the sun, front seats were
covered but back seat wasn't. There were also small cars (Hyundai's I think) that probably cost
less, but after Terry had to push our rental car up a hill in St. Maarten (on a previous cruise) we
didn't even consider one. They supplied us with two maps and we were on our way by 9 a.m. The
agency is located at the base of the road that leads to Paradise Point so we headed there first.
It is a steep, winding road that the Sidekick handled well, so that was reassuring. Paradise Point
can also be reached by tramway which we've taken on past cruises. At the top there is a bar, a
few shops and a great view of the cruise ship and surrounding area. Next we made a quick stop
at the K-Mart to buy water sandals for Terry. We then drove to the west end of the island, past
the airport and the University of St. Thomas, right to the end of the paved road at the western
tip of St. Thomas. After leaving the area, I consulted the second map and we discovered that
the western tip of the island was marked as a no tourist area. I don't know if that was for the
privacy of the residents or for our protection, as it was a very isolated area. There were also a
lot of steep hills so that may be why it was designated a no tourist area. Too late now and we
headed off to Mountain Top. We really liked it here, it is the highest point on the island and has a
beautiful view of the island and especially Magen's Bay. You can also see some of the surrounding
islands. Mountain Top consists of a restaurant/bar and several shops. There were a few people
here from a couple van tours but it was still pretty quiet, that was part of what made it so nice. I
think on those days or times when all the bus tours arrive, there would be too many people and it
would take away from the atmosphere of the place. We bought a nice print of Magen's Bay and
some pottery. We were also tempted to eat lunch here but weren't hungry yet. After leaving
Mountain Top, we drove in circles for awhile searching for the Botanical Gardens. In hindsight, I
think they were located on the same grounds as Mountain Top, but it didn't appear that way on
the map. If we had known ahead of time we were going to rent a vehicle I would have done some
research on the island. Finally, we gave up on the Botanical Gardens and went to Magen's Bay.
We passed Drake's Seat where Sir Francis Drake watched for enemy ships. It was just a stone
seat on the edge of the hill, the view was nice but I don't see the big deal they make about it.
Magen's Bay is where we were married on the beach in 1996 while on a cruise, so on every trip to
St. Thomas we go back. It costs $1 per person to enter the National park plus $1 for the vehicle.
It is a really nice beach for swimming but not a good place to snorkel. We wanted to snorkel so
we just stopped here for sentimental reasons. There were a lot of large jellyfish so we stayed
even less time than planned. We knew Coki Beach was great for snorkeling (from one of last
year's cruises) so that was our next destination. To our surprise, when we arrived there we
discovered Coral World was open. It had been open exactly one month the day we were there
(opened Aug. 9th). I had to talk Terry into going in as he thought the $18 fee was too high
(children $9). The place wasn't fully functional yet but we still enjoyed it and spent about an
hour here. There were only about five other people present so we had the place to ourselves. It
was great to wander about by ourselves and have perfect views of all the tanks and aquariums.
There are about five outdoor tanks with stingrays, young sharks, turtles, touch pool, etc. The
underwater observatory is 20 feet below sea level with a 360 degree view. There were a lot of
colorful coral and fish, I was amazed not only by the number of fish but the variety. Inside the
observatory there are pictures and descriptions of all the fish and coral you see. The middle level
of the observatory houses the predator tanks that weren't open yet. There is also a display on
how the hurricane in 1995 affected the observatory and what had to be done to repair it. There
are also approximately 25 aquariums in one building displaying day and night marine life, this was
Terry's favorite display. I preferred the large wrap around reef tank that was great for taking
photos, it was so well lit. Also on the premises was a gift shop, cafe, terrace restaurant/snack
shop and a bar. We hadn't planned to visit Coral World so that left little time for snorkeling at
Coki Beach. We rented fins for $5 each for an hour (normally $10/day) and one vest for me (the
weak swimmer) for $5 as well. You have to leave a credit card or monetary deposit as well. We
saw tons of fish (towards the Coral World side) and some coral and even followed two stingrays
for awhile. With the rental of the fins we were given fish food, that I quickly got rid of, as I was
surrounded by too many fish to feel comfortable. The teeth of a parrot fish look a little ominous
as they come towards you! Luckily, there were no jellyfish present. Being on the opposite side of
the island from Magen's Bay must have made the difference. We learned from a local that in early
September there are always a lot of jellyfish in the Caribbean. While we snorkeled we left as
much stuff as possible in the vehicle. What we left on the small beach remained untouched but
there was nothing of value there anyway. We reluctantly left Coki Beach and headed back to the
ship. This is where things did not go so well! Terry had been driving all day and doing a great job
of staying on the left hand side of the road, all except for in one parking lot and that doesn't
count, does it? I was the navigator and in charge of reading the two maps. The route back
should have been fairly straight forward, if I had stuck to following the map! I knew we would
pass a K-Mart on our way back as we had stopped here earlier in the day and it was located at
the end of the road we were on. I saw the K-Mart but we were on the wrong side of it. We
changed directions a few times but didn't get to where we thought we wanted to be. We filled
the Sidekick with gas as we figured the ship was just on the other side of the K-Mart. After a few
attempts to go in what we thought was the right direction I couldn't even figure out where we
were on the map. By this time panic was starting to set in, the ship didn't leave until 5 p.m. but
we were supposed to be on board by 4:30 p.m., it was about 4:15 p.m. Finally, we stopped and
asked a school girl for directions and headed off in the right direction .... it turns out there are
two K-Marts on this road and this was not the K-Mart I thought it was! Now if I had just stuck to
the map. As we neared the ship we got caught in end of the workday traffic. We could see the
ship in front of us but couldn't get to it. I was having visions of watching it leave as we sat there
helpless. We finally got to the pier, Terry dropped me off at the gate and then returned the
vehicle across the street. I ran to the ship and got there at 4:35 p.m., they were already
starting to untie the gangway. A couple casually strolled on board after me and got a strict
lecture from the officer at the gangway. I looked so panicked he probably felt I learned my
lesson. I told the officer Terry was a few minutes behind me, his reply was 'as soon as the
harbour pilot arrived we were leaving, period'. Now I was having visions of having to decide
between staying on board and leaving Terry behind or getting back off and both of us being
stranded in St. Thomas. I decided if worse came to worse, I would not leave without Terry and I
would get back off the ship. Luckily, it didn't come to that as Terry arrived three minutes later.
The officer looked his boarding card over pretty closely but didn't say anything .... maybe that
gold member designation on it convinced him to skip the lecture :) So at 4:38 p.m. we were both
on board and our heart rates started to return to normal. Terry later told me, that my decision to
get back off the ship (if he didn't make it in time) was not very smart, because then we would
have to pay for two airfares to get off of St. Thomas, instead of one. That was true, but I could
just picture myself at dinner that night, minus Terry, explaining that I left him behind in St.
Thomas!

The ship left St. Thomas at 5 p.m. and we watched from our balcony. There were several
seagulls that followed the ship and we amused ourselves by feeding them peanuts, they would
take them right from your hand as they flew by. Dinner was Caribbean night and casual or
country & western style dress. The waiters carried the flaming babalou (sp?) on their heads and
danced the macarena with some of the passengers. A couple of times during the week there was
a cruise staff game show after dinner, before the late seating's main entertainment. We seldom
saw these shows/games because we finished dinner too late. Tonight was the Liar's Club and we
just caught the end of it. After that we went to the Palladium showroom to see the Wave Revue
singers and dancers show called Star Struck. The show was really boring or I was really tired, as
I kept falling asleep, I think it was a bit of both. Terry found it quite slow but managed to stay
awake. Tonight's midnight buffet was held in the galley so passengers could see the kitchen.
There were two lines, one just to see the galley and the other to see the galley and gather food
along the way. There were no tours of the bridge on the Grandeur, just an informational video
that played on the in-cabin TV that showed the bridge, engine and control room. After the galley
tour we spent awhile in the casino where Terry won at roulette and I lost. He won more than I
lost so we were still ahead! We skipped the country and western jamboree.

Day 6: At Sea

I got up at 9 a.m. and Terry slept in until almost noon. The nice thing about a cruise ship is one
can feel comfortable wandering around by yourself. I had breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe,
watched a bit of a cooking demonstration, the bean bag toss competition, attended the
debarkation talk (it is replayed on cabin TV) and spent forever searching for our photos that were
taken by the ship's photographers. On my return to the cabin I told our stewardess not to worry
about making up our room as she was off at noon and Terry was still in the cabin. It turns out
she had been calling the cabin to ask if we wanted it made up because the do not disturb sign
was on the door. This had woken Terry but he hadn't bothered to answer it. We went to lunch at
the Windjammer but didn't find very much we liked. We decided we would go to lunch in the
dining room and get some ice-cream as it is only available in the Windjammer between 4 and 5
p.m. Lunch today was assigned seatings. All breakfasts in the dining room were continuous
service with the exception of the very last morning. The lunches were continuous service on port
days and assigned seating on sea days. When we got to the dining room we found food we liked
on the lunch menu so we ended up ordering an entree before we had our ice-cream. Our waiter
commented we weren't eating very much but I informed him it was our second lunch of the day,
maybe I shouldn't have revealed that! After lunch we attended the social and line dance lessons,
like the first sea day there was about 50 people present. We also played bingo, it cost $20 each
for a set of cards and surprise, surprise we didn't win anything. Before dinner we ordered a bottle
of wine from room service to enjoy on our balcony as the sun set. It starts to get dark by 6:30
p.m., this is always an adjustment for us because we come from the Northeast where it doesn't
get dark until 9:30 p.m. in the summer. We watched the cruise staff game show Bim-Bam-Boom
before dinner, we missed the rules and never quite understood it. Dinner tonight was the
Captain's Gala dinner and formal dress. The after dinner show featured Tony Tillman, another
singer impersonator. It turned out we saw his exact same show last year on the Monarch of the
Seas, but we still enjoyed watching it a second time. We took photos of the Gala Midnight buffet,
it was very impressive. Photo taking was from 11:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. and we lined up a few
minutes early, we were glad we did as the line grew very fast. On past cruises we learned the
longest line-up always seemed to be for the gala midnight buffet, but it is such an elaborate
display it is worth waiting for. We didn't return for the actual buffet, we just went through the
photo taking line-up. Outside the dining room they were selling souvenir menus and bottles of
wine with the Grandeur's name on them. We bought a bottle of wine and wanted it boxed to
carry home. We were told it could be done and they would bring it to our cabin the next day.
After the buffet there was a late night comedy show with Rich Ceisler. I found him quite funny
but I recognized his whole routine, so I must have seen him on TV in the past. Terry found him
really funny as he hadn't heard the jokes before.

Day 7: CocoCay, Bahamas

We had picked up #2 tender tickets earlier in the week, but when we got our receipt for the
purchase of snorkeling fins and vests ($15 each), #1 tickets were attached. A #1 ticket meant
we could go on the number one tender or any tender after that, #2 means you can go on the
number two tender or any tender after that, etc. We had a very good breakfast in the dining
room (first breakfast here all week) and caught the number five tender ashore. This put us on the
island at 10:30 a.m. and at that time there was still quite a few people waiting to get ashore.
Towels were available as we left the ship and we picked up our fins and vests ashore. We only
ended up snorkeling for half an hour, there were just too many jellyfish around. It was also a
really windy, fairly overcast day and the water was quite choppy and stirred up a fair bit. In our
short time snorkeling we saw a few fish but were really surprised to see a stingray swimming very
close to shore. We turned our equipment back in and explored the island. On the other side of the
island (unsupervised side) the water was a lot calmer and we saw tons of fish along the shore.
We even saw a small shark (3-4' long) only three feet from us as we walked along in the water,
but there were still plenty of jellyfish present. We did prefer CocoCay to Labadee, on a good day
the snorkeling would have been better. Also, everything is closer together so it is easier to get
from one location to another. There are three beaches, the first is for snorkeling and swimming
and was quite crowded, two buffet barbecue lunch cafes, three bars, a first aid station, and a
small Bahamian marketplace (cash only). We had lunch at Bahama Jack's cafe, there was a good
variety of food: chicken, hamburgers, ribs, pizza, etc. After lunch we participated in the limbo
and water balloon toss contests. The limbo contest is just for fun, they kept lowering the bar and
everyone kept going whether you made it each time or not. For the water balloon contest you
needed a partner and they kept increasing the distance you had to throw the balloon. Terry filled
our balloon quite full so throwing it was a challenge. We made it until the third round from the
end, Terry accidently threw it too far and it broke on the ground about ten feet behind me, so
neither of us got wet. He informed me I should have dove the ten feet for it! We returned to the
ship around 4 p.m. and redeemed our shipshape dollars from the week. We hadn't planned to
collect them, but we received several for the dance lessons we took and with our participation in
the island's games we had enough for a t-shirt (10 shipshape dollars). The shirts only come in one
size (XL) and I decided Terry should have it, since I was the one who dragged him to all the
dance lessons. We watched from our balcony as we left CocoCay (aka Little Stirrup Cay) and we
could see NCL's island, Great Stirrup Cay in the distance. We had been to NCL's island three times
in the past.

We got dressed for the evening (casual) and then packed all our luggage so we wouldn't have to
worry about it later. The show this evening was pre-dinner for late seating. There was a farewell
address from the Captain, followed by a pretty good variety show featuring the cruise and
entertainment staff and the busker-like comedians Wilde & Haines. They also played the video
highlighting the week's activities. On past cruises I have been tempted to buy the video after
seeing it (cost $24.95, I think), this one didn't tempt me. The show ended half an hour before
dinner. We decided to return to the cabin to check if the bottle of wine we ordered (at the gala
buffet) had arrived yet. It hadn't and our cabin stewardess didn't know its whereabouts. We filled
out our comment card (one per cabin) and dropped it off. Terry then stood in a long line at the
purser's desk to try and locate the wine, they said they would look into it. Meanwhile, I headed
to the dining room where our table mates told us someone had been there with a bottle of wine,
but left again. By the time Terry arrived in the dining room, the wine steward had returned with
the wine, thank goodness, we were getting tired of trying to track it down. Tonight's dinner was
International and rather sad as we knew it was our last evening on board. After ordering our
desserts we decided to test/tease our waiter, so we all switched chairs before he returned from
the kitchen. He did a bit of a double-take when he returned, but without saying anything he
began serving the correct desserts to everyone. He then informed us that if we had switched
chairs after ordering all our different entrees we probably would have confused him (most of us
ordered chocolate ice-cream for dessert). We exchanged addresses and hugs with our table
mates and then gave our tips to our waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter. Everyone was
great and got more than the recommended amount. Recommended amounts are $3.50 per person
per day for the waiter and cabin steward, $2 for the assistant waiter and the head waiter was at
your discretion. I even gave our waiter and assistant waiter a hug good-bye (something I've
never done before). We had left the cabin stewardess' tip in the room and we ended up saying
good-bye to her the next day.

After dinner we returned to the cabin to change and put our luggage in the hallway, it all had to
be out by midnight (except carry-ons). Two days before we had filled out a form detailing our
post cruise plans. Based on those plans and the time of passenger's flights, color-coded tags
were given out that were to be placed on your luggage. We then walked around the ship until 2
a.m., it had been a great week and our best cruise yet and we didn't want it to end. Everywhere
was quiet from 11 p.m. on, most people were probably busy packing or already in bed. The
midnight buffet was Pacific Rim Asian food and held in the Windjammer. Terry won some more
money playing roulette and I once again lost.

Day 8: Miami

We slept for a few hours and got up again at 5:15 a.m. to watch the ship come into Miami, it was
still dark and the lights of the city looked pretty. By 6 a.m. we were docked, between 6 and 6:30
a.m. Carnival's Sensation passed by us very close, turned in the harbour, and passed us again on
the way to her berth. We were to be out of our cabin by 8 a.m. so the stewards could start
getting ready for the next week's passengers. We left our carry-ons in the corner of the room
and went to clear Immigration. We arrived during the last five minutes and there was no line-up
at all, we've stood in line for hours on past cruises and have since learned not to show up first
thing. The dining room breakfast was assigned seating this morning and ours was at 8:15 a.m.,
buffet breakfast was also available in the Windjammer from 6:30-9 a.m. We enjoyed one good
last breakfast on board, although I noticed our waiter was not so meticulous this morning as he
had been all week. We finished eating around 9:30 a.m. and returned to our cabin to pick up our
carry-ons. The room was already made up for the next week's passengers. We then checked out
the Royal Suite as all the doors were left open while the stewards were cleaning. It was four
rooms with a large balcony and pretty impressive! We met our table mates in the Solarium and
waited. The first group to debark was not called until 10 a.m. but by 11 a.m. everyone was off.
Since we were staying overnight in Miami we were in the last group to debark.

We took a taxi from the ship to the Sheraton Biscayne Bay, cost $7. When we entered the lobby
there were lots of people heading to the ship for the next week's cruise, how depressing, we had
just got off and they had a whole week to look forward to. Luckily, our room was ready when we
checked-in before noon, check-in wasn't officially until 3 p.m. We asked for a room facing the
port. It was nice to see the ships in the distance, but not so nice to see someone on our old
balcony! We walked to Bayside Market, about a 15 minute walk along the water from the
Sheraton. Bayside is a nice area with lots of shops and several restaurants. There were also two
different bands playing on the waterfront. We snacked on candy at Bayside and ended up eating
a late lunch at a Wendy's we found on our walk back to the hotel, just down the street from a
Payless Shoe Store. Welcome back to the real world! From the hotel, we saw the Sensation leave
around 4:30 p.m. and the Grandeur around 5:30 p.m. :(

The next morning I got up early to watch for Sunday's ships (with binoculars) from our hotel
window. The Majesty of the Seas appeared at 5 a.m., the Enchantment of the Seas at 6 a.m.
and the Carnival Destiny at 6:30 a.m. Yes, I am obsessed with cruise ships! Hotel check-out was
11 a.m., the room was $122 for the night including taxes. We took a taxi to the airport and
arrived amongst total confusion, this was around 11:30 a.m. There were long disorganized
line-ups everywhere since three cruise ships had come in that morning. Our flight didn't leave
until 2 p.m. which was a good thing as we stood in line for about an hour to check-in. Considering
how long the cruise lines have been operating out of Miami, you would think the airlines would get
things better organized. Our flight ended up being delayed an hour so we had lunch at the airport
hotel restaurant. This was the same place we had started our cruise a little over a week ago. We
knew the restaurant would be a nice, quiet place with good food (although expensive), where we
could relax. We left Miami at 3 p.m. and just made a tight connecting flight in Toronto.
Reluctantly, we left our luggage behind at Customs, on the airline's advice, in order to catch our
next flight. We arrived home in Halifax, Nova Scotia around 9:30 p.m. (EST), 10:30 p.m. our time
(AST). We reported our lost luggage and luckily it arrived the next day and was delivered to our
home.

As stated earlier in this longgggg review, we had a great time on the Grandeur of the Seas and it
was our best cruise to date. The second week after our cruise the ship was going for a one week
dry dock. The only thing we saw that needed work or replacing was the blue carpeting, that had
worn through in several places, around the outdoor pool. A lot of the crew's contracts were
ending when the ship went to dry dock, so staff will be quite different for future cruises.

Any questions feel free to email, Shawna & Terry love2cruise@ns.sympatico.ca

Name: Cliff Chupp
Email: clchupp@earthlink.net
Age: 46
Occupation: Software Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10-17-98
Itinerary: East Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 94
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 91
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 93
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 93
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 94
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 91
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon: 93
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 92
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 94
DiscoNightclubs: 94
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 94
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Oct 1998
Time: 14:16:28
Remote Name: 205.131.22.66
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise in 8 years. My wife and I (in our 40's) researched the various cruises and
lines and determined the Grandeur was the right ship and itinerary.

Embarkation

The air-cruise combination went off without a hitch. We arrived at the ship at 12:15 and were in
our room by 12:45. Luggage arrived at 3:00 and our steward agreed to take our bags and store
them. No upgrade but the room (cat. D with verandah) was comfortable and roomy enough for 2.
We had the steward remove their six pack of sodas and we stocked the fridge with sodas and
water we had brought in our carry-on. Life boat drill lasted from 4:30 to 5:00 and the ship left
the harbor at 5:30. We didn't bother trying to validate the onboard charge card until later that
evening at the Pursers desk. A lot of the shore excursions were cancelled due to the hurricane so
we thought the other excursions would sell out but we had no problem signing up for them later in
the week. We were handed a flyer while boarding which said we were going to Nassau instead of
Coco Cay because of the 'propeller incident'.

Labadee

This is a very beautiful island that is well maintained and staffed. Unless you intend to go early
(before 10:00 AM) you don't need a tender pass. The far side of the island has the best scenery
but you can't swim because of the coral and sea urchins. Dragons Point is perfect for photos and
views of the island. You can rent a raft for $5 (don't understand why RCI doesn't comp these)
and float for hours. Didn't snorkel but others said not much to see.

San Juan

Didn't take any tours but shopped and restocked the fridge (there's a Walgreen grocery/drug
store about 5 blocks from the ship). The hurricane damage was apparent but not too bad. We
used our coupon from the back of our cruise ticket book to get our free refrigerator magnet from
Hard Rock cafe.

St. Thomas

This was definitely the highlight of our cruise. We did the St. Johns Trunk Bay tour and snorkel
and fell in love with this island. It's a state park and has some of the loveliest views we have
ever seen. The area is clean and uncrowded. St. Thomas is also a very scenic island. The cab
drivers were not very amiable but the island was inundated with tourists since other cruise ships
were showing up here to get away from Hurricane Mitch. We had 6 ships in port so the island was
packed. Shopping was good but we found that most of the usual items (perfume, watches, liquor,
etc.) were pretty much the same price at all the stores. Basically you can save a few dollars on
duty and taxes but we have found deals just as good on the internet. There is a MailBoxes Etc.
just past the dock which is the only place we found that had internet access to send an email
($5 per email).

Nassau

Since this is not part of the regular itinerary, no comment except Nassau is Nassau.

Pros

The Grandeur is a floating resort with all the amenities. The food is fine for this type of cruise.
The staff is (for the most part) friendly and attentive. The entertainment is top notch and
diverse enough to please all but a few. The cruise staff is personable and reachable (we had no
problems finding them when we needed a question answered).

Cons

The service was great except for a couple of instances. We asked a photographer that wasn't
busy if she would take our picture with our camera and got a flat 'no'. (She had already taken our
posed picture with her equipment.) We also had a minor incident while serving ourselves in the
Windjammer cafe. I asked a cook why they were serving packets of mustard, mayo, pickles, etc.
without having their usual sandwiches available and was told I could 'put it on my pasta'. We
don't usually complain about such minor incidents but we were surprised because of the
otherwise great attentiveness and service from the rest of the staff and crew.

All in all, the Grandeur and the staff of RCI fulfilled our expectations of a wonderful cruise
experience and we are ready to go again!

Name: John Davidson
Email: jcdavidson@msn.com
Age: 36
Occupation: Sales
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10/17/98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 100
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 50
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Nov 1998
Time: 00:06:35
Remote Name: 208.250.243.142
Remote User:

Comments

This was our third cruise with RCCL and we had a very enjoyable experience despite some cloudy
weather. We were very impressed with the layout and design of the Grandeur of the Seas. We
very seldom felt crowded due to the size/passenger ratio.The ship was at full capacity ( approx.
2200 passengers ). The ship sustained some damage during Hurricane Georges that enabled it
from cruising at full speed. Consequently, RCCL altered the itinerary because it could not reach
Friday's destination of Coco Cay as scheduled. We went to Nassau instead which worked out
fine. The best spot was Labadee, Haiti, which was surprisingly spared by the hurricane. This is a
private peninsula leased by RCCL and it is apparent RCCL has dumped millions into making this
spot a genuine tropical oasis. Labadee has beautiful white powder sand beaches set along
tranquil aquamarine coves with water temperatures around 87 degrees!The snorkeling is lousy,
but that didn't matter due to the incredible surroundings. San Juan, Puerto Rico was okay, but
I've been there a couple of times already. Hurricane Georges was not kind to Puerto Rico and
they were still recovering. My best advice is to take a cab to El Morro castle and spend about 2
hours exploring this historic fort. It is fascinating if you appreciate history. From there, it is an
easy walk through town to shop and see some other sights on your way back to the ship. RCCL's
private club/lounge in town was dreadful. They advertised it as being a great place to relax and
have a drink, eat lunch,make a phone call home, etc. They only had one person working the
counter and I think he had to handle too many responsibilities. It took me 15 minutes waiting in
line only to discover they did not have what we wanted.

They do not accept your cruise credit
cards either, cash only. Finally, they only have 3-4 phones which can result in long waits. We
had a terrific time in St. Thomas despite cloudy/rainy weather. We took a shore excursion billed
as Buck Island Sail Adventure. What made this so appealing was that they only take 6 people per
sailboat which keeps things personal and you don't feel like cattle like on some other snorkel
boats. We sailed on the 45' sloop "Survival" with a delightful husband/wife crew Dave and Judy.
The cost is $48 per person but the value is there. I would have to say this is the best shore
excursion we have ever taken. Make sure to specify the "Survival" boat, it's the fastest in the
fleet and Dave is a great snorkel guide.

The water we snorkeled in was crystal clear and we saw
countless species of marine life as well as a ship wreck. Judy was a great compiment to Dave as
she handled the boat well and was a great story teller. Our cabin was perfect. We splurged for an
outside cabin with balcony ( Category D on deck 7 ) and we will never do anything less again. It's
great leaving the sliding glass door ajar at night to get fresh air and to hear the ocean lapping
against the ship. We also spent a fair amount of time out on the balcony having coffee in the
morning or sipping champagne in the evenings. Please try it if you can afford it. If you are on a
budget, I suggest to avoid the casino and spend the extra $$$ on upgrading to a balcony room.
We had second seating dining and loved the Great Gatsby's art deco interior. Our waiter, Abdullah
from Turkey, was very helpful and did a great job. His assistant Jerome from France, however,
was very green and extremely clumsy as he seemed to spill something almost every night. He
managed to spill hot coffee on me the final day! I hope Jerome finds his calling in life, it certainly
is not in the food service business.

The food was pretty good, not exceptional but very good
especially considering how many passengers they cater to. The food was cooked to order and
presented very well. Some dishes just seemed a little to bland. We are from Seattle which has
some of the best cuisine in the country, so perhaps we are a little spoiled. Our wine steward,
Francisco from Columbia, was a real character. We followed his suggestions and we were
pleasantly surprised at his fine advice as he recommended some lesser known and less expensive
wines that were as good as some of the higher priced selections. Francisco always smiles and
you can't help but like the guy. The Schooner bar is a great place for after dinner drinks in a
piano bar setting. Clarence can tickle the ivory with the best. The Paladium had excellent
entertainment every night including talented singers, dancers, comediens and acrobats. There
were numerous activities that always give you a variety of choices for all different age groups or
interests. We only had a few negatives during this great week. Unfortunately they were all
personnel related. We went to the Solarium Cafe at 5:55PM one night for a snack and we were
greeted by a rude server named Romar, who obviously was put out because his shift ends at
6:00PM. As he slammed the door into the kitchen, he said a vulgar word that rhymes with spit as
he reluctantly filled our order. We also were offended by a rude photographer who wanted to
take our picture in the middle of dinner. First of all, she rudely interupted dialogue at our table as
she wanted to take several pictures of our group. The timing was poor because we finally obliged
and by the time she finished, our main course was cold. And finally, as I previously mentioned,
our assistant waiter Jerome was incompetent and could not make up for his inadequacies with
even a pleasant disposition. Overall, this was really a good cruise and a great ship. Most of the
staff was great but some of the bad ones really left a bad taste. I think we may give Princess
cruises a shot next cruise to compare. If anybody out there has an opinion on comparing the two
lines, I would welcome your comments. Thanks for your time and happy cruising!

Name: Joe Kelley & Leora Orzeck
Email: joecss@tusco.net
Age: 40 & 40
Occupation: Computer Techs
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 10/17/98
Itinerary: Eastern Carribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 96
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 96
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 100
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 92
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Nov 1998
Time: 12:20:20
Remote Name: 207.206.99.141
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise, and I must say, it will be the one that all others, yes we plan on taking
many more with RC, will be compared to. We decided to drive to Miami instead of using the
air/cruise package, and it worked out very well for us. We stayed right across the street from the
port, so we got to see the ship before going to the terminal. The Granduer truely outshone the
other ships that were at port. We arrived at the terminal early, around 10am, and just walked
around the parking lot and little park that is right there by the crew r/r area. About 11:30, we
headed over with our luggage to the drop-off area and turned our luggage over to a very
pleasant man, then proceeded upstairs to the checkin area. If you don't like lines, our suggestion
would be to wait until about 1 or 2pm to check in...alot of people came early, thinking that they
would get on early, but the checkin doesn't open until noon, and you DO wait in line.

Once onboard, it was very easy to find our room, and we put our carry-on things away, and went
straight away to get our 'cruise card' taken care of, which worked out well being early, not too
many people and no crowds had formed yet, and everything went very smoothly. Next it was off
the the Schooner Bar, and Clive and Owen were the bartenders, and we learned quite a bit just
talking with them about the ship. This is also where we met our first cruise friends, John and Rita,
what a great couple, and we ended up spending alot of fun times with them during the cruise.

The staff on board was without a doubt, outstanding, and our dining room head-waiter, waiter,
and assistant waiter deserve special recognition. Lars our head-waiter, from Norway, was
excellent. He made us feel very comfortable, and very welcome, and always had a great story to
tell. And he treated all his section in the same way...alot to do along with all his other
responsibilities. Bulent, from Turkey, was our waiter, and we couldn't have had a better team
with him and Bostjan, from Croatia, as our servers. After the first night, Bostjan brought us our
drinks without ever having to ask again, which I thought was wonderful. Bulent always had a
smile, a handshake for the gentlemen, and a seat pulled out for the ladies. His recommendations
were always right on the money, and there was NEVER a bad choice made by anyone at our
table. We really enjoyed the different themed evenings, and truely enjoyed watching our servers
and the others perform for us, what a special treat, and of course, Bulent, Bostjan, and Lars
always waved as they went by. They truely made us feel special, and we couldn't have had
anyone better than these gentlemen. They made a wonderful vacation perfection, and probably
spoiled us for any others that come after them.

Our ports of call were Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Nassau instead of CocoCay. We
signed up for snorkeling in Labadee, and spent a wonderful day on the beach there, even though
the ocean side of the island was closed for swimming because of high surf. We were still able to
walk the beach, and find seashells. The snorkeling was wonderful, but a bit too cloudy for any
picture taking underwater. A piece of advice for all the guys with mustaches, make sure to get
some vasoline from the diving instructors, or your mask won't seal. A beautiful day on the beach,
but would have liked to spend a bit more time in the native shops, but there was too much
pressure from all the locals, and we ended up just walking through without buying anything, not
interested in all the haggling that takes place.

We docked in old San Juan, and didn't take any of the tours offered, but went walking on our
own, with the maps provided by the ship, which were excellent. We were able to find the Crown
and Anchor Club without too much confusion, and it was a welcome retreat from the heat. Since
this was shortly after Hurricane George, there was still some damage to San Juan, but it was still
a nice place to visit. I enjoyed the narrow streets, and all the colors of the buildings, and we
were really never far from the ship. If you don't care for crowds, this may not be to your liking,
there were two other ships at port, and the streets tended to be a bit crowded. and the
sidewalks very narrow.

St. Thomas was nice, but there really were no bargains there as far as jewelry goes, from our
part of the US. These excursions may be more geared towards Europeans and people from New
York or California, where prices are higher then mid-America. No real deals here for us.

Nassau was our port instead of CocoCay because of hurricane George. Although it was pleasant,
and we were able to find some last-minute souveniers, we didn't stay on the island for very long.
There were three other ships docked with us here, so things were crowded here also.

All in all, our cruise was our vacation of a lifetime, and we truely enjoyed every minute of it. One
of the neatest things was our seeing dolphins playing alongside the ship in the middle of the
ocean. Having only seen them in aquariums before, this was a wonderful sight to see. We
definately plan on cruising with RC again soon.

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